1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pistol holsters and, more particularly, to a covert holster for complete concealment of a pistol and for quick-draw accessibility of the pistol.
2. Description of the Background
Many holsters and harnesses strive for ready accessibility of the weapon that they carry. Unfortunately, they often sacrifice subtlety in the process. There are many instances, such as in civilian clothed security personnel or civilian carrying of weapons, undercover police personnel and the like, where it is desirable to conceal and disguise the presence of a pistol by use of a concealed holster. Traditional holsters and harnesses, concealed or visible, have often been bulky, uncomfortable to wear, expensive to produce and difficult to conceal.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,013 discloses a pistol concealing bag-like holster having the outward appearance of a purse or tobacco pouch. The pistol contained therein can be fired from within the pouch via a trigger finger receiving aperture in one of its sides. In firing the pouch-contained pistol, the high velocity bullet or slug tears out one end of the pouch. Also, the pouch-contained pistol is free to move about in the pouch, there being no means to retain the pistol at a proper firing position within the pouch. Although the weapon is readily accessible, the pouch itself is awkward. Other efforts to improve concealment move the weapon into a shoulder harness worn under the shirt. Unfortunately, the shoulder harness sacrifices accessibility.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide the best of both in an improved covert holster, designed for either right- or left-handed (or ambidextrous) users, capable of full concealment of a pistol, and which permits instant accessibility and comfort of wearing of the pistol over a prolonged period of time.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved holster capable of full concealment beneath the trousers at the abdomen.
It is another object to provide an improved holster which does not compromise between accessibility and full-concealment, permitting instant accessibility to facilitate a quick-draw.
Still another object is to provide an improved fully-concealed quick-draw holster as described above that can be worn with a pistol both comfortably and securely over a prolonged period of time.
It is yet another object to provide an improved fully-concealed quick-draw holster as described above that can be utilized with equal effectiveness by right-handed and left-handed users.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved fully-concealed quick-draw holster as described above that lends itself to a variety of economical manufacturing processes using a variety of alternative economical materials.
In accordance with the above objects, one embodiment of an improved concealed holster comprises a holster bracket worn at the abdomen and having a pair of laterally-spaced spacer flanges joined by an arcuate panel generally conforming to the curve of the body. A pistol seat protrudes inwardly from the arcuate panel for seating a pistol thereon within the confines of the flanges, panel and the user""s body. The holster is intended to be worn under the trousers at the abdomen such that the pistol is easily dislodged by pressing up on its barrel with one hand, and then quick-drawn with the other hand, regardless of which hand is to be used for the various steps in the process. The pistol seat is a horizontal member extending to a perpendicular retainer for capturing the pistol by its butt. A second embodiment is also described in which the pistol seat and retainer are replaced by a pistol seating strap, extending inwardly between opposing points of the arcuate panel, for harnessing the pistol therein.